Car construction



A ril 26, 1938. w. M. DWYER 2,115,064

CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 11, 1935 [men tar William M Dwyer Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES CAB- CONSTRUCTION William M. Dwyer, Chicago, 111., assignor' to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation oi Delaware Application January 11, 1935, Serial No. 1,278

4 Claims. (01. 105-454) This invention relates to improvements in car construction.

One object of the invention is to provide in a railway car structure, means located at opposite ends of the car yieldingly embracing the lading and reacting between the car structure and lading to absorb shocks imparted to the latter in directions lengthwise of the car due to starting and stopping of the car and sudden changes in speed thereof, thereby protecting both the car structure and the lading from damage.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of the character indicated in the preceding paragraph, in the form of resilient end members on the railway car, especially adapted for use in connection with lading in the form of a plurality of freight container units.

Still another object of the invention is to provide shock absorbing means in the form of abutment members. respectively at opposite ends of a railway car, which abutment members are forced inwardly toward each other, by yielding means, to embrace and clamp therebetween a a plurality of freight container units arranged in series lengthwise of the car and cushion said container units against shocks, said abutment members being adjustable away from each other lengthwise of the car against the pressure of said 30 yielding means to temporarily effect spreading apart of said members to permit loading of groups of different sized containers therebetween, said members being returned to clamping condition by the action of the yielding means.

35 A more specific object of the invention is to provide in connection with a shock absorbing means of the character described in the preceding paragraph, mechanism for adjusting the abutment members toward and away from each 40 other and temporarily holding the same in any desired position of adjustment while subject to the influence of the cushioning action of the yielding means.

Y Other objects of the invention will more clear-. 45 ly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part oi this specification, Figure l is a part top plan view and part horizontal sectional view of one end portion of 50 a railway car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith, said view being partly broken away, and the horizontal section corresponding substantially to the line l--l of Figure 3. Figures 2 and 3 are longitudinal, vertical 55 sectional views, corresponding respectively to the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a transverse, vertical sectional view, partly broken away, corresponding substantially to the line 44 01 Figure 2, said view being to one side of the center line of the car. 5

In said drawing, l0 indicates a portion of the end structure of the underframe oi the car. The underframe structure in includes center sills ll-l I, and end' sill l2, and side sills, said center, end, and side sills being shown as formed of a 1 single casting and integral with the underframe structure proper of the car. One of the side sills only is shown, the same being indicated by 13 in the drawing. Theunderframe structure I0 is also provided with diagonal braces, one of which 15 is shown and indicated by l4. Floor braces are also employed extending between the center sills and the diagonal braces l4, one only of said floor braces being shown, the same being indicated by 5. The center sills are provided with the usual stop lugs l8l6 and i6l6 and the end sill has a striking face il which cooperates with the usual coupler Ill. The shock absorbing mechanism of the railway car and cooperating elements are not shown in the drawing. The end sill i2 has the usual vertical web I9 and top and bottom, inwardly extending, horizontal flanges 20-40.

My improvements comprise broadly a sliding end member A at each end of the car; springs BB and BB opposing outward movement of a the end member; and combined adjusting and holding means C-C cooperating with the end member for moving the same outwardly against the pressure of the springs and temporarily holding said end member in adjusted position.

In carrying out the invention, I provide each of the end sills with two sets of spaced, vertical webs 2l'2| and 2 I2|, thereby providing spring pockets 2222 at opposite sides of the end 01 the 40 car. Each pocket is defined by the webs 2i-2l and the top and bottom flanges 2020 of the end sill I2.

The sliding end member comprises a shelflike portion 23 extending from one side to the other of the car, a vertical abutment wall 24 at the forward edge of said shelf 23, and a pair of depending spring abutments 25-25 between the front and rear ends of said shelf 23. Each abutment 25 is formed by a transverse vertical wall 26 and bracing side webs 2'l2| of substantially triangular outline, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The webs 21-21 are formed integral with the shelf portion 23. As most clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, the central portion of the shelf is "is also provided with depressed rearward extensions 29 at opposite sides thereof which engage beneath the corresponding floor braces l6,-ther'eby preventing upward tilting of the rear end of said end member A. The depressed forward end section-of-the shelf of the end member A is slidingly supported on the top flange ofthe endsill l2 andon the center sills I l -I I. As most clearly shown in Figure 3, the central section of the wall 26 of the spring abutment is thickened, and said thickened section is provided with pairs at opposite sides of the end of the car, each -20 a transverselycurvedseat,- as indicated at 30.

The springs 3-3 and B-B are arranged in pair being contained in the corresponding spring pocket 22. Each of the springs B has its front and rear ends bearing respectively on the inner side of-the vertical web i9 01' theend sill I2 and the wall 26 of the corresponding spring abutment 25. a

. .The combined adjusting and holding means CC cooperate with the spring abutments 25-45 at opposite sides of the end of the car. Each combined adjusting and holding means C comprises a bolt'3l headed at the forward end, as indicated at 32. The head of the bolt 3| has an opening 33 therethrough, adapted to receive an operating bar by which'the bolt may be rotated to adjust the same. 7 is also provided with an annular flange 34 at the inner end which bears on the outer side of the vertical web IQ of the end sill l2. extends between the springs B- -B at the corresponding side of the end of the car and has its rear end threaded, as indicated at '35. A nut 36 is mountedon the threaded portion 35 of the bolt and has a transverselycurved-bearing face 31which engages in the curved seat 30 so that thebolt may angle laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the car. A locking element in the form ofa small bolt 38, extending through the inner end of the shank of thebolt 3|, serves to prevent accidentalremoval of the nut 36 from the bolt 3|. When the bolt is turned, the nut 36 is held against rotation. by the flat top and bottom faces thereof engaging the straight top' and bottom walls 39-.39 of the-seat 30. As

shown most clearly in Fig. 3, the threaded por tions of the boltsare of sufllcient length to permit full outward adjustment of each member A [to a position where movement thereof is limited by engagement of the wall 26 with the inner edges of the-flanges 20-40, of the corresponding end sill. The parts are-s0 proportioned that the outward movement of the end member A is stopped by the shouldered engagementof the wall 26 with the flange 26 of the end sill at a point where the abutment wall of the end member A is spaced inwardly from the front or outer face of the end sill l2'ofthe car. Thus the end memher is at all times within the outer limits of the end of the car and movement of said end member in no wise interferes with the clearance limits prescribed in modernrailway practice.

.As willbe evident, the construction of the end members AA and cooperating parts is the means to absorb the shocks imparted to the lading which is disposed between the abutment The head 32 of each bolt' The bolt 3i walls 2-4-24 of said end members AA. Upon a shock being imparted to the lading of the car, the lading will be projected against either of the end members A, thereby moving said end member outwardly against the resistance of the cooperatingsprings 3-3 and 13-3. The springs are of suflicient capacity to restore the end member to' its original position. In loading a car with container units, the units are arranged in series in one or more groups, each group extending,

lengthwise of the car between the abutment .ends of the series of container units at all times,

thereby preventing damage to the containers,

.both of the abutments AA of the carare adwhich might otherwise occur due to the conjusted outwardly to an extent to permit the placing of theseries of container units therebetween. The outward movement of each end member A is efiected by adjusting the bolts 3i-3l. In adjusting each bolt 3i, the nut 36 thereof is screwed on to the bolt, thereby pulling the abutment end member A outwardly. As

will be evident, the sliding rocking engagement of the nut 36 of each adjustable bolt 3| on the bearing seat of the corresponding spring abutment member 26 of the end member A permits adjustment of the bolts independently without binding thereof. as the bolts may'angle laterally. When theseries of containers has been loaded between' the and members AA, the bolts 3l-3| are adjusted in a reverse direction,- thereby permitting the springs 13-3 and B-B to move the end member A against the adjacent container of the series. As will be evident, the containers are thus yieldingly clamped between the end members AA at opposite ends of the car.

I have'herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto. I

I claim:

1. In a railway car including an underframe' slidingly engaged underneath the floor brace at the corresponding end of the car.

2. In a railway car including an underfrarne structure provided'with a horizontal floor brace at each'end of the car, the combination with sliding abutment members at opposite ends of the car, said abutment members having shoul- V dered engagement with said floor braces to limit inward movement of said members; of yielding means opposing outward movement of said abutment members.

3. In a railway car body comprising supporting means extending lengthwise thereof for supporting a group of freight containers arranged in series lengthwise of the car, the combination with an end member on the car including a container supporting section and a. transverse wall rigid therewith; of guide means slidingly supporting said member at the end of said supporting means; stop means for limiting outward movement of said end member to a position within the end limits of the car body; a fixed abutment on the car; shock absorbing spring means interposed between said end member and the fixed abutment means yieldingly opposing outward movement of said end member; and means for adjusting said end member outwardly and inwardly to conform with difierent sizes in length of container groups, said adjusting means including an outwardly and inwardly movable element having outward pushing contact with said end member and a screw member for adjusting said movable element, said screw having a projecting operating head portion exterior of the end of the car.

4. In a railway car, the combination with an underframe structure including transverse end sills; of a sliding end member at each end of the car spaced inwardly from the outer limits of said end sills, each end member having an abutment wall for the lading of the car; yielding means opposing outward sliding movement of each end member; combined adjusting and holding means for spreading said members apart lengthwise of the car to accommodate different over-all lengths of lading therebetween, permitting further outward yielding of said members, and for holding said members against inward movement from said adjusted position; and stop means for limiting outward movement of said end members to a position spaced inwardly from the outer limits of said end sills.

WILLIAM M. DWYER. 

